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Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia

9 Colleges
$48,548 Avg Salary
$29,668 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Public Administration School for You

In 2020-2021, 602 degrees and certificates were awarded to public administration students who went to a Virginia college or university. This makes it the #55 most popular major in the state.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

The Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 9 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Public Administration Schools in Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best for public admin majors pursuing a .

Top Virginia Schools in Public Administration

Our 2023 rankings named University of Virginia - Main Campus the best school in Virginia for public administration students. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Public Administration at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report

#2

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

The excellent programs at Virginia Tech helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Tech

#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

The excellent programs at George Mason University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration schools in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, public admin graduates from GMU carry an average student debtload of $19,493.

Full Public Administration at George Mason University Report

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

Out of the 9 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the # 4 spot on the list. JMU is a very large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.

After completing their degree, public admin graduates from JMU carry an average student debtload of $22,867. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $436.

Read full report on Public Administration at James Madison University

The excellent programs at Virginia Commonwealth University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best public administration schools in Virginia. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a very large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University

#6

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA

With a ranking of #6, Old Dominion University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Old Dominion University

#7

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA

Regent University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #7 on the list. Regent is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach.

Read More…

#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA

With a ranking of #8, Liberty University did quite well on this year’s best schools for public administration students. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Public Administration at Liberty University

Strayer University - Virginia did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for public administration students. It came in at #9 on the list. Strayer University - Virginia is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Arlington.

Full Public Administration at Strayer University - Virginia Report

Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Public Administration Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 401
North Carolina 469
Florida 1,032
Tennessee 107
Kentucky 123
South Carolina 88
Louisiana 121
Arkansas 186
Alabama 396
Mississippi 84
West Virginia 132

One of 5 majors within the area of study, public administration has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Social Work 58,326
Human Services 13,238
Public Policy 6,430
Community Organization & Advocacy 3,096
Other Public Administration 588

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to The Official CTBTO Photostream.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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